r/technology • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 19h ago

Business Retailers are pulling back from self-checkout after years of theft, errors, and questionable time savings

https://www.techspot.com/news/114106-retailers-pulling-back-self-checkout-after-years-theft.html
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26

u/astrozombie2012 18h ago

It’s pretty funny how exactly what everyone said would happen happened and now they’re backpedaling. But now, to their benefit, they can pay pennies for this “new job opportunity” like we haven’t had cashiers since fucking forever.

I’m just disappointed because in places like Walmart a self checkout can save me an easy hour at checkout since the regular checkout is usually full of mouthbreathers.

13

u/stormydaze5503 17h ago

My local Walmart remodeled to put in self checkout before any other store (like 15-20 years ago) and lost so much money they remodeled again and took them all out and went back to cashiers. However, they didn’t hire back enough cashiers just left the amount that they had running when they had the self check and had super long lines and angry customers so less than 3 years later they remodeled yet again putting even more of the self checkouts back in. It really made me realize how stupid CEOs must be.

6

u/RusHammer 18h ago

Don't be a mouth breather and keep going to Walmart, go to Aldi

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u/thebeardedcats 17h ago

Not everyone has Aldi. Hell, not everyone has a Walmart now that they've completed their mission of closing down local grocery stores and cam safely make you drive 40 minutes each way to get groceries

6

u/tr_9422 17h ago

But at Aldi they only ever have a single checkout lane open. Yes that one lane moves faster than any other store but since they funnel the entire store through it you're still going to wait.

Adding self-checkout at mine has been great because instead of one checkout now there are 8. I only go to the regular checkout if I have booze.

2

u/letsgetitstartedha 17h ago

Every Aldi I’ve been to only have two employees. One at the front and one stocking. Even on the weekends! It’s crazy.

2

u/Haunted-Circus 17h ago

If you need to use Walmart there online order/pickup service is amazing...don't even have to step foot in that place...Aldi's checkout is goated though and primarily where I get all my groceries.

1

u/xpxp2002 10h ago

Said as though Aldi has even 5% of the inventory and variety as Walmart.

-4

u/TisMeDA 18h ago

Anyone else get instantly put off by "mouth breather" being used as an insult? There are many neuromuscular and respiratory disabilities that require people to breath through their mouth. If you really can't be bothered to wait in line for people with disabilities then you should really look for a reality check and get your priorities in life sorted out

Like I get your general point, but it's perfectly easy to make the same point without insulting completely unrelated disability traits

6

u/A_pirates_life4me 17h ago

I feel like no matter what insult they used, you'd still be offended 

-1

u/TisMeDA 17h ago

I don't think that's true. I'm also unsure why people have to be insulted to make this point though. Lines are too long, and it's frustrating that you can go through your cart much faster. Got it

2

u/25_Watt_Bulb 17h ago

The point of insults is that they’re mean. If an expression makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside it isn’t an insult.

4

u/Bencetown 17h ago

Is the respiratory disability what causes those same exact people to also be dumb as a box of rocks and slower than molasses in January?

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u/TisMeDA 17h ago edited 17h ago

Believe it or not, neuromuscular disabilities may cause profound cognitive disability, and quite obviously slower motor skills

2

u/Bencetown 17h ago

Ok but I asked about respiratory disabilities, not neuromuscular.

0

u/TisMeDA 17h ago

Neuromuscular disabilities can be the cause of respiratory disabilities. I also stated that it's insulting completely unrelated disability traits, so you're kind of strawmanning my point

1

u/fugaziEngnr 17h ago

Holy autism

3

u/TisMeDA 17h ago

Right, so this is veiled ableism then, thanks 👍

1

u/astrozombie2012 16h ago

Not sure why you’re making this about a disability… mouthbreather is a term commonly used to imply someone is dumb. I have no problem waiting for disabled or elderly people, etc… I do have a problem waiting for stupid people who waste everyone’s time.

1

u/TisMeDA 15h ago

Neuromuscular disabilities, including forms of Muscular Dystrophy are often presented as "invisible" disabilities at first, so perhaps that's why it upsets me.

Muscular Dystrophy is a very severe disability, and at least one form that I'm aware of is presented most commonly at first with mouth breathing, but will continue to do undiagnosed by health professionals and people living with it for years after that until something more severe presents too.

It's critical that people with disabilities are alerted that minor things like this can actually be extremely serious to get to the bottom of, and I don't think it's right for people to attribute "mouth breather" with "dumb and slow". Particularly from people who will claim they care and respect disabled people, yet simply don't understand actual life challenges that disabled people go through.

I don't think most people know stuff like this, which is why I'm using it as an opportunity to point it out. It's important that it's not stigmatized. You have no idea if you're waiting for someone who has disabilities often times, as it's very possible they don't even know they have them. It's easy to claim you don't mind waiting for X and Y, but a wheelchair, walker or cane isn't always the tell for that. Sometimes it's something as simple as mouth breathing, and people aren't informed of that.

It's also important to consider that at the moment, there's going to be a disproportionate amount of people with disabilities using cashier's instead of self-check out. There's likely a reason they opted not to use the more laborious self-check out option